Sputtered germanium/silicon devices for photonics applications

摘要

We report on the ongoing investigation of magnetron sputtered germanium on silicon for photonics applications. Direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering has been used to deposit germanium layers on silicon at low growth temperatures and medium range vacuum levels. Standard photolithography has been used to make germanium photodetectors for the 1550 nm wavelength range. Electrical characterization, more specifically current-voltage measurements indicate that the devices function as intended. Sputtered silicon waveguides have also been fabricated and evaluated for possible applications in photonics integration. The sputtering-based developments in our present research are expected to provide for a flexible and economically viable manufacturing process for such devices.